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Upcoming parliamentary election important for Turkey

By Anahanum Khidayatova

The scenario of the election in Turkey being canceled is unlikely, Matthew Bryza, former deputy assistant of the US secretary of state for South Caucasus, former US ambassador to Azerbaijan and director of International Centre for Defense Studies in Tallinn, told Trend Sept. 17.

Bryza was commenting on the forthcoming re-run parliamentary election in Turkey amid the tense situation in the country.

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made an announcement a few days ago saying that election has to happen regardless of the security situation in the country,” he said.

Bryza said that the only group that would like the election to be canceled might be PKK - the terrorist group.

“This is going to be the most important election in many years in Turkey, certainly the most important one since the AKP came to power in late 2002,” Bryza said.

“President Erdogan is hoping his AKP will be able to regain the parliamentary majority in lost in the June 7 election and eventually expand that majority to be able to change the constitution here in Turkey so that the system of government would place more power in the Presidency and less power in Parliament,” the expert said.

The expert said that if the AKP recovers its majority, we may see a more powerful President.

“If the AKP does not recover its majority, President Erdogan’s role in Turkish politics will be reduced, which will lead to a significantly different tone and momentum in Turkish politics,” Bryza said.

The expert said that the AKP has a good chance because President Erdogan is such a skillful politician and half of the country has been very supportive of him.

“On the other hand, it is far from certain that the AKP will regain its strong majority,” he said.

“But, there is still a lot of time before the election in several weeks, and AKP will be campaigning really strongly and using all its resources.”

Turkey will hold the re-run parliamentary election on November 1, 2015.

Some 75,288,955 million people will participate in voting at the re-run parliamentary election in Turkey. Some 29 political parties will participate in the re-run parliamentary election.

A final meeting was held between Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and the leader of the oppositional Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Turkey on Aug. 13.

During the talks, the parties failed to agree on creating a coalition government.

Afterwards, Davutoglu said that his country would again hold a parliamentary election.

Turkey held a parliamentary election June 7, which involved 20 political parties.

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the election, but lost the parliamentary majority and couldn’t form a government alone for the first time since 2002. The Turkish president instructed the AKP leader and current Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to form the cabinet of ministers July 9. The prime minister held talks with leaders of the three parliamentary parties, but couldn’t reach an agreement.